Shock-absorbing device for vehicles.



J. F. OCONNOR.

. SHOCK ABSORBING DEVICE FOR VEHICLES.

APPLICATION FILED 061122, 1914.

1,8%0;,%6. Patented Mar. 27, 1917.

- 55 I Z 6 ,2; {1' Z 24 JZ- WATTORNEY specification. Figure l is srs s r JUHN F. OCOLNNDR, OF CHICAGO, ILLINOIS, ASSIGNOR TO WILLIAM H. MINER,

CRAZY, NEW YORK.

rIOCK-ALBSORBING DEVICE FOR VEYlIC-LES.

Specification of Letters Patent.

Eatented Mar. 27,1917.

Application filed October 22.1915 Serial No. 867,947.

To aZZ whom it may concern:

Be it known that I. Jenn F. (TC-on NOR, a citizen of the United States, residing at Chi-. cargo, in the county of Cook and State of Illinois, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Shook-Ahsorhing Devices for Vehicles, of which the following is a full, clear, concise, and exact description, reference heing had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification.

M Y invention relates to improvements in shoclt absorbingdevices for vehicles.

The, ohject of my invention is to provide a shock ahsorhing device for vehicles of simple construction and ellicientoperation.

In the drawings. forminga'part of this a side elevation of a shock ahsorhinggdevice for vehicles emhodying'my invention. Fig. 2 is an enlarged detail showing; one end of the triction casing in longitudinal vertical section and adjacent parts associated therewith. Fig. 3 is a detail showing an end elevation of the cranks and associated levers. Fig. 4 is a cross section taken on line 4-4 of Fig. 2. Fig. 5 is a cross section taken on line 5-5 of Fig. 2.

Referring to the drawings. the mnncral 6 indicates a por tion oi the frame of a vehicle, as for instance, an automobile. to which the shock ahsorhing device is applied. having dependent therefrom the arms 77. To each of said arms 7'? a link 9 is pivoted as indicated at 8, said links being also pivotally connected, as indi ated at 10 to the ends of a. leaf spring; .ll. The latter is preferably provided with spring clips 12-42 and is socured substantially at its center to the axle 13. A spring case l -l is mounted ahove the spring" 11, the same hemp; providcd with a downwardly extended llan re, 13,- provided with the shoulders ilk--16, the springdl heing clamped hetween the axle ill and the spring: case by means of the U-holts l7-l7 passing around the shoulders 16 and provided at the lower ends with suitahle washer plates lS-ltl and nuts lit-19. The, spring case 1% is, in preterahle arrangement of the parts, located immediately outside the frame 6 and is provided at either end with a triopivoted tion shell 20 longitudinally extended therefrom. Within the spring case 1- is mounted the springs 21 and within each friction shell is arranged the friction mechanism 22, consisting ot the friction shoes and a spreading meinher or wedge "24 therefor. At their inner ends 25, the friction shoes engage the adjacent ends of the, springs 21. lVithin each friction shell there is disposed 'a plunger 26 engaging at its inner end 27 against the adjacent wedge ger being provided with longitudinally extended slots '28 and 29 respectively, transversely arranged to receive each a pin 30 adapted to slide therein. Near its ends each friction shell is provided with a longitudinally extended vertical slot 31 for the passage from above of a lever 32 and from helow of a lever 33, the upper lever 32 having a perforation at its inner end for the passage of the sliding pin 30 therethroue'ln the. lower lever 33 heing provided at its inner end with a perforation for the passage of the lower sliding pin 30. At their outer ends the levers 3'3 and 33 are respectively to the upper end 36 and the lower end ll of a hell crank memher 38, which is centrally pivoted, by means of the. pin passing through the walls of the adjacent shell. to the end of said shell. Levers 90 are pivoted at their upper ends 40 to arms 4-] ol" the hellcranks 33, said levers 90 24, the said plunupper and lower heing, pivoted at their lower ends to the hrackets 7 as unheated at 8.

The operation is as follows:

The spring 11 llcxes in the usual manner upon relative approach or separation of the vehicle hody and axle. the changes in length of the spring acing accommodated in the usual manner 1)) the link connections 9-9. l pon recoil or relative separation between the vehicle hodv l and axle. l2l the pivotal the pins 30 sliding in the slots 29.

Upon downward movement of the vehicle body 6 or relative approach between the same and the axle 13, the bellcranks 38 will berotated downwardly about the pivotal points 39-39. This causes the inward movement of the links 3333 which will actuate the plungers 26 and friction devices, as will be understood. Simultaneously, outward movement of the links 32-32 is accommodated by the pins sliding in the slots 28.

It will be readily understood that by changing thp curve of the spring 11, the action {of the toggle rigging between the ends of the spring and the shock absorbing friction and spring devices may be varied so that on downward movement of the vehicle frame in reference to the axle, the upper ,either side of the frame of the vehicle.

I claim:

1. In a shock absorber for vehicles, the combination with a vehicle frame, of spaced apart levers pivoted thereto, a spiing mounted between said levers, a shock absorbing member connected to said spring intermediate its ends, the shock absorbing member comprising friction shells, friction elements within the shells and springs to resist said.

friction elements, and a toggle device operatively connecting the friction elements with the said levers. I

2. In a shock absorber for vehicles, thecombination with t e frame of a vehicle, of levers pivoted at me end to the frame, a spring, a friction spring shock absorbing member secured to the said spring intermediate its ends, the shock absorbing member having friction elements and a toggle device, the toggle device connecting the friction ele ments with the said levers.

3. In'a shock absorbing device for vehicles, in combination, a spring case, a friction shell at either end thereof, friction shoes, and a wedge in each friction shell, a plunger in each shell adapted to engage the wedge, a spring, an axle to which both the spring and and the spring case are engaged, pivoted levers, a toggle device connecting each plunger to one of said levers, said levers being each connected at one end to the tog le device and being adapted to pivotally engage the frame of a vehicle at the other end. i

4. In a shock absorbing device for vehicles, the combination with a vehicle body and axle, of a spring secured to the axle intermediate its ends a link for each end of said spring, levers pivoted to saidbody, a bell crank pivoted to each of said levers at one end, a friction shell for each bell crank,

friction shoes, a wedge and a p'lunger adapted to engage the wedge within each friction shell, a pair of links for each bell crank, one

at either side of the bell cranks fulcrum,

ment of each set of friction shoes, the spring.

case being connected to the axle.

5. In a shock absorbing device for vehicles, in combination, an axle, a vehicle frame, a spring interposed between thevehicle frame and axle, a. shock absorbing device secured to the axle and including friction shells substantially parallel to the said spring, friction shoes and wedges within the shells, and toggle members for operating the friction members.

6. In a shock absorbing device for vehicles, in combination, a vehicle frame, an axle, a spring connected to the axle, a spring case and friction shells associated therewith secured to the axle, friction shoes, a wedge and plunger within each friction shell, a spring Within the spring case interposed between the friction shoes of the friction shells,

a bell crank pivoted to each friction shell, a lever for each bell crank, each lever being pivoted atone end to the bell crank, and at the other end to the vehicle frame, the bellcrank being provided with a pair of levers adapted to alternately actuate the adjacent plunger.

7. In a shock absorbing device for vehicles, in combination, a vehicle frame, an axle, a spring connected to the axle, a spring case and friction shells associated therewith secured to the axle, friction shoes, a wedge and plunger within each friction shell, a spring within the spring case interposed between the friction shoes of the friction shells, a bell crank pivoted to each friction shell, a lever for each bell crank, each lever being pivoted at one end to the bell crank, and at the other end to the vehicle frame, the bellcrank provided with a pair of levers, being each slidingly connected to the adjacent plunger.

8. In a shock absorbing device for vehicles, the combination with a relatively movable vchicle frame and axle and a spring interposed therebetween, of a friction shell secured to the axle and movable therewith, said shell being arranged horizontally and at right angles to the axle, friction elements 'cooperable with said shell, and means for actuating said friction mechanism in the same direction upon either relative approach or separation of the vehicle frame and axle.

9. In a device of the character described, the combination with two relatively movable members having a spring interposed thereger, and a lever for oscillating said bellbetween, of-a frictionshock absorbing device crank. mounted on :one of saidmembers, and means 7 for operating said friction device inthesame I JOHN O CONNOR 5 direction upon, either relative-approach or Witnesses:

separation of said members, said means in- CARRIE G. RANz,

eluding a bellcrank, pivoted links, a, plun- ELIZABETH M. Bnn'r. 

